


In Flight

by Caffiend



Category: Bucky Barnes Fandom, Captain America - All Media Types, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, The Avengers - Ambiguous Fandom, Winter Soldier fandom
Genre: Alpha Avengers, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega pairing, Bird Watching, F/M, Love, Romance, Sex, Shapeshifters - Freeform, a/b/o dynamics, alpha sex, bald eagles, mcu dark library kink month
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-04
Updated: 2020-07-13
Packaged: 2021-03-04 20:47:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,135
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25062595
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Caffiend/pseuds/Caffiend
Summary: In which a stubborn Beta at Stark Tower meets James Buchanan Barnes. A different kind of Alpha.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 120
Kudos: 154





	1. In Flight

**Author's Note:**

  * For [uglywombat](https://archiveofourown.org/users/uglywombat/gifts).

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is for the MCU Dark Marvel Library Kink Challenge for July...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is best read by listening to the music that inspired it - Feel Good from Illenium, Daya, and Gryffin: https://youtu.be/gBkWR-WfEeU

The only possible upside of working in this ludicrously tall tower - this testament to Tony Stark’s ego - was the view from your office window. Stark Tower soared above any other building in New York City and there were times on rainy days where you could see the actual cloud layer between rain and sunshine. 

And then, there were the birds. So many- you were used to the standard pigeon population Manhattan was infamous for, but up here on the 131st floor, just a floor below Tony’s vast, incomprehensibly huge penthouse, it was like Wild freaking Kingdom. You’d taken to leaving a window open on your computer to an online birding guide. You'd seen Yellow-tailed hawks, then a dark, beautiful falcon tore past your window in his pursuit of a panicked robin. Once you'd stopped everything, pen dropping from your limp hand as a golden wave of finches flowed and fluttered in an exquisite, cyclonic pattern, dancing with the wind before reforming and sailing past. 

Tony walked in during that episode. “Okay, Bird Girl, what’s up?”

You were too excited to be professional. “Did you see that, Tony! Omigod, did you? It was like a tornado of finches - I’m sure they were finches - but golden and they were so … wow.” Looking up, you could see your boss struggling to keep a grin off his goateed face. 

“Is this some kink I’ve never heard of? Because you’re really into birds. Really, _really_ into them.”

You spluttered a bit in embarrassment. “You don’t have to turn everything sexual, ‘New York’s Most Notorious Bachelor.’” After the _New York Post_ luridly branded him, you’d actually had the title engraved on a wall plaque and affixed next to his office doors. “I just … like birds. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

Unperturbed, your boss threw himself into one of the big, spinny chairs in front of your desk. You’d had to call in every one of the Avengers at one time or another for hours of discussion involving their Role in Society and How Their Actions Affected Their Public Image. You’d learned early that the more comfortable they were, the longer you could pin them down. “Is this some kind of a beta thing?” he asked, spinning to face you with a wink before spinning again. 

You chose to ignore his cheeky nod to your designation, which was none of his goddamned business, thank you very much. You’d been mistaken several times for an alpha, and more than once as an omega, but never as a beta. 

“Really?” A response from the standard Bar Dude. “You look so much hotter than that.”

Or…

“You just need a firm hand to show you your place, little Omega.” The last asshole who tried that line on you ended up with a broken wrist.

“There’s nothing wrong with being a beta,” you said crossly, tired of this endless argument with your boss. He refused to believe your designation and was constantly badgering you to let Dr. Banner draw some of your blood. It took handing in your resignation to stop the hounding.

“Yeah, okay,” Tony agreed, leaving you to draw a sigh of relief. “Anyway, you might wanna pop a Xanax because there’s a new kid in town. Shining up this one’s image is like polishing a tur-”

“Don’t be gross,” you scolded, “who are we talking about?”

With his typical speed when excited, your boss had you out of your chair and standing by the helipad, hand trying to hold down your skirt while the other covered your eyes. The helicarrier was descending with a majestic grace, and when the hatch slid up, Tony announced at the top of his voice, “Laaaadies and Geennnntlemen! Live from an eighteen-month engagement at Wakanda Resort and Casino, it’s the Chrome-armed Commando! The Machiavellian Marine! The Mysterious Mercenary! The Gorgeous Guerilla! The Scrumptious Soldier!”

By now, Steve Rogers was walking down the ramp, followed by a man equally as tall and wide as the Captain, with shoulders so broad you weren’t sure they’d fit into the elevator together.

Tony was still talking. “Everybody give it up for Sergeant Jaaaames Bucky Baaaarnes!”

Which was how you met Steve’s best friend, the former Winter Soldier, and a man who looked like he’d rather be anywhere but standing in front of you.

You were wishing the same thing. Your neat twist was yanked loose from the propellor blast and your hair was flying around your face. You were pretty sure your skirt had flown up at least once, making you resolve to wear suits with pants for the rest of your life. Peeling away some hair that was plastered to your lipstick, you held out a hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Sergeant Barnes."

His head was down, you could see thick, dark hair tumbling over his face and brushing his shoulders, but he looked up at the sound of your voice. His eyes. Oh, god those beautiful eyes, blue like an October sky over a cornfield, like your grandma in Oklahoma used to say. “Just Barnes,” he muttered, “I’m not military anymore.”

“Of, of course,” you backtracked hastily, “I-”

Steve thankfully intervened. “Buck, this is the public relations director for the Avengers. She keeps us looking good-” There was a loud snort from Tony. “-she tries to keep us out of trouble.” He introduced the two of you and you let your hand drop to your side when Barnes showed no interest in taking it.

The elevator ride back down was deeply uncomfortable as Tony kept up a round of jokes and innuendo you only half understood. _Must be an alpha thing,_ you thought. Because no matter what else there was to discover about the mysterious Soldier, he was _definitely_ an alpha. Extracting a promise from Steve and his silent friend to have a meeting tomorrow to craft an image for Bucky, you left them to get settled.

It was another late night. The fifth one this week but you swore that every time these people went out, something either exploded or caught on fire or both. The team’s latest addition was actually your smallest headache. Bucky was an excellent fighter, got the job done with a minimum of damage and rescued both Sam and Clint from a collapsing wall, giving you great “hero” material to work with. He just … never talked to you. He avoided being around you if possible and it was really beginning to do a number on your self-esteem. Jokingly lifting your arm and taking a little sniff, you wondered, “Do I smell?”

Just as you looked up, the golden light from the setting sun through your window suddenly went pitch black. Just for half a second, a single blink of the eye, the slightest whisper of air like wings stroking against the glass before the sunlight was streaming through the gigantic panel again.

“What the hell…” you stood hastily, walking over to the window and looking out in both directions. “What kind of bird was _that?”_

The quick flash of those massive wings had to be the cause of your dream that night. A carnal dream. An erotic as fuck dream with you coiled around James Bucky Barnes and his massive arms and legs surrounding you, holding you tight in his embrace as you rolled and fell through the air. Not screaming downward like a skydiver, more … like flying? Twisting and rolling and wrestling playfully with each other. Nipping and kissing and every now and then the slightest hint of a sharp fang peeked from his full lips. Oh, and you were both naked and he was just as beautiful as you’d imagined he was. Hugely muscled, broad chest and shoulders, long, long legs with massive thighs - you had your legs wrapped around one thigh, your suddenly heated center rubbing against the spectacular musculature there. You both writhed and rubbed against each other as you watched the ground grow closer. “Bucky!” you gasped, “Alpha! We’re close, we’re-”

Just before you came on Bucky’s thigh and got smashed flat against the pavement, you woke up. Because dreams were like that. _A total fucking buzzkill_ , you thought sadly.

You saw the shadow across your window again the next day, and the next. Always in the evening when the flash of massive wings would make the breath catch in your throat. Tony started calling you Bird Girl again when he found your search history full of queries about “raptors with gigantic black wings.” You started bringing your evening box of takeout to the roof of the tower, nibbling on wontons or breadsticks while you paced the perimeter of the structure, looking for some massive bird that would make those winged shadows make sense.

Which is how you found Bucky. He was seated comfortably by the gigantic heating-cooling units, always alive with a low buzz. He was drinking a beer and watching something intently.

“Oh! Uh, sorry. I didn’t mean to disturb you, I’ll just go-”

Those mesmerizing, keen eyes watched you. “Are you here to see the eagles?”

Your jaw dropped. “Eagles? Where? What kind? I’ve seen a Golden around here, or is it-” Bucky moved to the left, revealing a nest so voluminous that you wondered how you’d missed it. “Oh, my god!” you whispered feverishly, “Bald eagles! Oh, that’s- I never thought I’d see one in the wild!” You both looked around the rooftop, redolent with the smells of the city and laughed a little. Going to your knees and ignoring the gravel, you crooned, “Hello, mama. You’re so beautiful.” The bird’s wingspan was at least six feet across, and she had her feathers spread protectively over her eggs, staring you in the eye. You looked at each other in silence, but the intelligence in her eyes… after a moment, she drew those massive wings back in and settled herself. You felt a displacement of air as powerful wings soared over you both and the male landed next to his mate. “Bald eagles … they mate for life, you know,” you offered, instantly cringing at how dumb that sounded.

Bucky didn’t draw away like he usually did, settling back on his heels and resting those substantial arms on his knees. “They do. Do you know how they mate?”

“No?” You were utterly still, barely breathing. _Bucky was talking to you._

“They…” he cleared his throat, looking out over the city. “They find each other, the male and the female, and the courtship takes place while they’re flying. If the female agrees, the male locks talons with her and they…” Bucky looked at your wide eyes, lips half parted and he couldn’t avoid it any longer. “They mate,” he continued, “flying and rolling through the air, lunging and playing while they lock together. They start high up, in the upper air currents and let the winds carry them for a while, but then as they clutch tighter together, mating, coming together, they begin to fall to earth, feathers flying everywhere in their wake…” Bucky’s head turned, and those vivid eyes were looking into yours. “As they plunge closer and closer, talons still locked, the mated pair find their finish and separate just before hitting the ground. The female is fertilized and they care for the eggs together, the male watching over his mate and their hatchlings.”

It was your dream. Your dream exactly except with Bucky. Not eagles, but flying, soaring and spiraling as you were joined together. “That’s…” your voice croaked and you tried again. “It’s beautiful.”

Bucky leaned closer. Not by much, but he smelled so good, like cut grass, the garden at your Gran’s after it rained, a sharp bite of copper, a tang of something lush and herbal. Your lashes fluttered and for the first time in your goddamned life, you felt it, an ache between your legs, damp skin and the feeling of blood thrumming through your veins. An embarrassing yearning for this beautiful, dark man. You sucked in one more deep, fortifying breath of his scent, unaware that your pupils had exploded, making your eyes nearly black. “Thank you for showing me the eagles,” you said in a small voice, “I … I have paperwork to finish so I’ll just… Goodnight, Bucky.”

You were halfway to the elevator when you heard it. “Goodnight, Aerouant.”

The next day was one of your least favorite every month. The full moon. It meant every alpha in the goddamned tower was useless. Completely useless as they swayed in the power of the lunar lure. There would be a transformation: the powerful alphas, their submissive omegas embracing their wolf forms. Not every alpha or omega could shapeshift, very few in fact. But of course, the Avengers could. They’d take off and you knew there was a meeting place in upstate New York where they’d all run together with others. Alpha and omega others. You were a beta, so there was no place for you, and you didn’t need one. But still, something in you ached when you saw Bucky joining them- Steve, Tony, Dr. Banner, Clint and Natasha, a joking Sam as they piled into the helicopter. You had your birding app pulled up on your phone and snacks. You’d stay up all night if you had to but you were going to find the bird that matched those gargantuan wings. “Have fun,” you forced a smile, “don't do anything that requires me to issue a press release.”

“Have fun, Bird Girl,” grinned Tony, and you pushed up your reading glasses with your middle finger before the helicopter door slammed shut. 

The full moon was majestic. One of the biggest of the year and you found yourself talking to the bald eagles in between bites of your burrito. “I read something once that claimed that bald eagles had the closest genetic comparison to a dragon,” you confided. “I believe in them, you know. Dragons.” You pulled out the medallion from under your shirt, the one you always wore. The female eagle was watching you again. “I’m Irish, my Gran’s from the old country and told me so many stories before she died. This is her necklace.” It was a simple silver disc that contained a beautiful, tiny representation of a Celtic dragon circled in on itself. “We Celts believe that dragons are guardians, powerful protectors. In fact, the word is from Greek, it means 'to see clearly'.” You smiled at the eagle, and she tilted her white head slightly. 

For fuck’s sake, it was like when you were six and determined to stay up on Christmas Eve and finally see Santa Claus, but of course, you fell asleep. _Apparently nothing changed as an adult,_ you thought bitterly, rubbing your eyes. It was still night - early morning really - and the bloated moon bathed the entire roof of the tower with a silvery glow. So when those colossal wings blotted out the light, you leapt to your feet, gasping. It was…

You stumbled back, falling on your ass and still staring. A dragon. An actual fucking dragon, like your Gran always swore was real. Black as pitch, as midnight, but when it spread its immense wings, fragile light from the city glittered over the silver, metallic belly and the underside of the wings. It circled twice, you still on your ass and staring upwards, breath hitching in your chest. And then it swooped down toward you, smaller and smaller until it was the dark figure of Bucky walking toward you. “Wh- what the actual f- fuck is…?”

The only thing that could have made the Soldier look smaller was the dragon. Bucky knelt in front of you. “Fly with me.”

“Wh- are you serious?” you were backing away, crablike, still staring at him as your arms and legs scuttled backward. He held out a single, immense hand. His hair was falling from his man-bun and into his eyes, but you could see the humor there. Knowing you were clearly fucking insane and would probably wake up under some 72-hour hold tomorrow, you reached out, linking your fingers with his. Bucky gently pulled you into his arms, surrounding you and cradling your ass, lifting you to perch on his hip like a toddler.

“Hold on.”

You screamed when he ran and lightly leaped off the edge of the roof, waiting for the inevitable plunge that you knew would take a long time to fall, probably enough time to scream and scream, then take a breath and scream again before dashing your brains into pudding on the pavement. And then you were soaring, his body growing even harder and the powerful beating of his wings jolting you. But Bucky’s immense arms were still wrapped around you securely. When you looked up at the path of the moon, you could see glittery bits of something - scales? Feathers? Fluttering after you. “How is this- Bucky, what are-”

“Shhhh…” his voice was deep, sibilant and no longer entirely human as he whispered in your ear. “You’re safe with me, Omega."


	2. You're Safe With Me, Omega

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which you battle your growing need for Bucky against your belief that you are not what he thinks you are.  
> 18+ only, please! Sex in flight. Which is as epic as it sounds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, there will be a chapter 3 because I suck and I'm unable to finish ANYTHING properly.

_“Shhhh…” his voice was deep, sibilant and no longer entirely human as he whispered in your ear. “You’re safe with me, Omega.“_

Your mouth automatically opened to argue with him about your designation, but then Bucky grinned - a full, open-hearted grin, gleefully unselfconscious and you melted. For a moment, you were certain you saw the Bucky from the pictures Steve placed on his fireplace. James Buchanan Barnes with the rakishly tilted cap, knowing perfectly well how handsome he was in his uniform. And once you saw that grin, you knew you’d do anything to see it again. So you tightened your legs around his waist and smiled, still a little shaky. “Where are we going, AlphaAAAAAAH!”

He’d swooped downwards, folding those massive wings in, then flared them side into the turn that shot you up high, impossibly high into the black sky and you screamed again, half delighted, half terrified out of your fucking mind. The wind tore through your hair and you couldn’t stop laughing, even when this lunatic Alpha went into a tailspin, sending the two of you bulleting toward the ocean with unimaginable speed. He pulled out at the very last second, one wingtip just skimming the surf and sending a spray of saltwater over you both. Your breath caught in your throat as the full moon hovered over you, sending the huge shade of his black wings against the reflected waves. “I saw your shadow, so many times,” you gasped, “but I never could have- never have known. So beautiful. You’re so beautiful.” You could feel the chill of the ocean against your back, but your breasts, your stomach, your legs were on fire, pressed against his heated flesh. One hand slid tentatively up to his hair, feeling the long strands, silky soft, the way you always imagined it would be. But there were spiky protrusions too, a little like really hard, rigid feathers?

“You're the beautiful one, Aerouant,” he finally spoke, his voice raspy with effort, deep. “My omega.” Bucky’s full lips laid over yours and you sighed as his tongue slid inside your mouth. Tightening your arms around him, one hand stroked his face, smiling as he leaned his face into your palm as the other traced the exquisite musculature of his back, hesitating when you reached the leathery, oddly fluffy protrusions of his wings. He stiffened, your dragon, and then your clothes were gone, as were his. His mouth was on one breast, his oddly nimble tongue lashing your painfully hard nipple as his hand squeezed your ass. "If I put my fingers inside you, Omega," he purred into your ear, "would you be slick for me? For your Alpha?" 

“W- well,” you croaked, “there’s only one way to find out, pal.”

Suddenly you were upright, arms over his broad shoulders and staring into those startling, vivid eyes again. Bucky looked back at you, the wind blowing his hair over his face as he lifted you gently, smearing the wet of you against his hard stomach, your clit finding each muscle strand another delicate place to strum against until you felt your entire body was a harp string ready to snap. When his hands slid over the globes of your ass and squeezed gently, you could feel the power there, those hands that had hurt and maimed and killed. But what they offered now was stability as he lifted you higher, thrust his hips forward and slid the broad head of his cock just inside you.

“Do you consent?”

You were half insane with need and your skin felt like it was burning, but you were shivering. “I… Bucky…”

“Do you consent, Omega,” he purred again and you felt it travel down your spine and into your pussy like an electrical shock. “Do you accept me as your Alpha?”

You weren’t an omega, goddamnit, but why this was a point of contention was far past your ability to reason. This beautiful, perfect man was asking you to be his, and you swallowed hard before nodding and saying clearly, “Yes. Yes, of course, Alpha.” And then his cock slid up inside you, stretching you in such unimaginable ways. He belonged there, inside you, blazing and hard, making you so much wetter until your slick smeared against his belly and thighs, soaked against his cock and made his skin slide along yours. You sucked in another gasp of air as he groaned, flared his massive wings and shot up like a rocket, the velocity pulling you down - hard - onto his cock. Your nipples were diamond hard against the smooth skin of his chest, his vibranium arm cool as he wrapped it around your back to hold you steady.

The two of you were high enough now that the noise and the lights from Manhattan were gone, blissful quiet with only the ocean beneath you, and your dragon pulled back to look at you.

“So beautiful…” he gave that dazzling grin again and began moving you up and down on his shaft, the air crystalline and still as you moved against each other, moaning. You could not have imagined this - the feeling of James Buchanan Barnes inside you, hot and so wide. His arms holding you securely and his face buried in your neck, growling occasionally with a rumble that sent sparks like lightning up your spine. His metal hand slid down to grasp your ass again, squeezing it with an unexpected gentleness even as he began driving you both toward your finish. Every part of you felt like you were alight, some dazzling energy inside that crackled and sparked and began coalescing into the center of you, cycling around where you were joined with Bucky and then with a scream, you came and it all flared back out again. You’d never know it, but the brilliant flash of light was seen by dazzled sailors miles away on the ocean, mouths agape as the sky glowed silver for a moment.

Coming back from wherever that orgasm had flung you, you were wrapped around each other still, clinging with arms and legs and buffeted by the lazy flap of those gargantuan wings. Your face was buried in his shoulder and he was nuzzling your neck. "Omega..." he said hoarsely, the tip of his nose running along where your scent glands would be.

 _If_ _I was an omega but I'm not!_ You thought angrily, _I'm a goddamned-_ You started to shake your head, a protest already on your lips and his hand slid to your chest. He cupped your silver pendant, the coiling lines of the dragon gleaming in the full moon. Gently resting it back on your breasts, his big fist lifted a larger medallion, battered but the image was still perfectly clear. Identical to yours. “Steve found it with my personal effects when they thought I was gone. Fallen from the train.”

You nodded, not sure what to say so you nodded harder. “Where is yours from?”

Bucky had evened out his flight, soaring lazily with the wind. “My family, they’re from County Cork, Ireland. My grandparents would talk about the old country and the Suileach…”

“When did you know?” Your legs were getting sore from being so tightly wound around his thick body, and Bucky hummed, settling you against him. “I was always Alpha. But I didn’t know the rest until Wakanda. A Masingi found me hiking in the wilderness. He taught me what I am.”

“Masingi?” you queried.

“An African dragon, a sea serpent,” he explained.

You giggled, flinching inwardly at the girlish trill but this was all so fucking amazing! “A sea serpent,” you sighed, “I just … god, Bucky. The things you’ve seen.” You instantly regretted the words when his vivid eyes went pale and blank for a moment. “I’m sorry,” you instinctively rubbed your cheek against his, “I’m sorry for the bad memories.”

He cupped your face in those giant mitts of his, “S’okay. There’s good ones, too. And tonight…” Bucky chuckled when you blushed, “So many good memories.” He brushed your nose with his and you closed your eyes. Was this what they felt? Those alphas and omegas in their super special pheromone club? 

“Bucky…” you sighed.

“Alpha,” he corrected.

Turning your head enough to place a kiss in his palm, you forced yourself to continue. “I’ve never presented. I’m a beta. I’m not ashamed of that. I don’t-” Oh, shit, here come the tears, “I don’t want to disappoint you or pretend to be something I’m not.”

Oddly, he seemed amused, rather than upset. “You don’t believe you’re Aerouant?” 

Biting your lip, you examined his face. “Do you think I am?”

“I know you are,” Bucky’s fingers were running through your hair, feeling the strands as if acquainting himself with the bits and pieces of you.

“How?”

“I see you.” His voice was deeper and you shivered a bit. “I see who you are. I tried to avoid you, stay away so I wouldn’t push you, but…”

“Okay,” you adjusted your position, suddenly aware that you were still perched on this man/alpha/dragon’s cock and it still felt quite firm within you. “How could I possibly find something that- god, Bucky, trying to prove that I’m a dragon omega? That’s just … shit, I just...”

That grin of his came back. “You just take a deep breath, and leap.”

“Yeah, yeah, a leap of faith, yeah, it totally is, but-” you were babbling but what the hell? A _dragon?_

“No,” Bucky said calmly, “A leap. A leap from the highest place you can find. I jumped from the peak near the Mawenzi volcano on Mount Kilimanjaro.” He gently disengaged from you, both of you groaning as your bodies protested the separation. Angling your legs into a less cramped position, he began flying back to the city. 

“Y- you threw yourself off Mt. Kilimanjaro - the highest mountain peak on the African continent in human form without the slightest idea of whether you’d actually pop out wings and shit?” If he heard your appalled tone, he ignored it. 

“Yes,” he agreed, “and so will you.”

From there, it was like some particularly carnal first date where he landed on the roof again and pulled out a big shirt he’d stored up there - likely for other times he’d been touring downtown in dragon form - since your clothing was shredded and floating somewhere in the Atlantic. You both said goodnight to the eagles and he took you down to your floor, pausing outside your door. “Would you like to come in?” you asked awkwardly.

Bucky shook his head regretfully. “You have a lot to think about. And you need to sleep.” He kissed you one more time, deeply, those lush, glorious lips playing along yours before standing back. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

As it turned out, you did not have the Morning After Awkward Meetup in the communal kitchen because every Avenger was called out on a disaster in Eastern Europe - dozens dead and clearly showing Hydra’s stamp. No word, nothing from anyone on the team. _That’s reasonable,_ you thought. _Enemy territory, flying silent_. The second day was harder, walking back and forth on the roof and talking to the eagles. By the fourth day, even the eagles appeared to be getting sick of you and you called Agent Hill. Director Fury hated you like he did all “media assholes.” But Maria was sympathetic to your position in the company and you often had lunch, just to catch up.

“I’m guessing the Tower’s pretty quiet this week,” she said, winking at you as she ordered an iced tea. 

You shrugged and asked for a glass of Riesling. “A couple of blind items in the gossip magazines, no real fires to put out.” You looked up to see Maria watching you, the alpha clearly amused. “What?”

She looked innocently at her glass. “Nothing. You just look … conflicted.”

Narrowing your eyes, you slumped back in your chair. “Really? _You_ know? Already? How long did it take to get around the Tower?”

Maria unsuccessfully tried to smother a grin. “I think Tony had a clip circulating off JARVIS' footage about an hour after James escorted you to your door like a gentleman.”

“That’s it!” you snarled, “I’m booking his ass for an hourlong interview on Fox News about- about- _conservative values_ as soon as he gets back! Or maybe something with Dr. Laura.”

She was laughing uncontrollably. “Please! Please, I’d give up my hazard pay to watch that!”

“He’d fire me, but it would be worth it,” you mumbled.

“What’s bothering you?” Maria asked.

Smiling, you shook your head. Trust the S.H.I.E.L.D. agent to cut to the chase. “What do you know about his … uh, designation?”

Eyeing you thoughtfully, she said, “That he is … unique, and rare.”

Trying to explain it in a way that didn’t involve specifics while sitting in a restaurant, you floundered, “He thinks I’m … that way, too. But I’m a beta, Maria! Despite all these elitist designation assholes in the Tower, I’m not ashamed of being a beta, I’m-” Remembering belatedly that Maria, was in fact, one of those, you mumbled, “Sorry, no offense.”

“None taken,” she said crisply, and you cringed. “He believes that you are for him, his omega. Your alpha. Is there anything in you that feels differently knowing this? Has anything changed?”

You thought about that insane warmth that night on the roof when you smelled him, how your pussy lit up like a bonfire. “No,” you shook your head firmly. “I know what I am, Maria, and I-” You bit down on your lip, hard, trying to contain the hateful surge of tears. “I don’t want to disappoint him. He’s had so much taken away from him. I don’t want to be something else that he thought was for him, but I’m... Shit. I’m not an omega. I’m not like he is.”

Maria was regarding you with a mixture of compassion and disbelief. “No one can force you to believe this, you'll have to find it for yourself,” she tactfully switched the subject. “So! What’s this about a July 4th gala at the Tower? Do I have to nag Fury into dressing up?”

You were up on the roof again that night. This time, teetering close to the edge and carefully looking out, not down because that would send you screaming into a panic attack. The mama bald eagle was making irritable-sounding chirps behind you and based on your research, she was either really sick of you or her eggs were close to hatching. Eggs… Crap, do dragons have a clutch instead of babies? You still weren’t completely sure about alphas and omegas because everyone at the Tower kept joking about pups. Eggs. Your throat closed up. Jesus, _eggs?_ You were no dragon! You couldn’t lay _eggs!_ You looked down and nearly threw up. You couldn't throw yourself off the top of the goddamned building and believe you'd change into a dragon! No matter how much you wanted to. No matter how desperately you wanted to be the mate Bucky believed you were. Just as you were about to slink off the roof, you spotted something glinting neat the eagle’s nest. With a mumbled apology to the eagles, you edged past them and plucked up the object just as the daddy eagle was about to snap at you. Turning it over, you tried to make sense of it. The feel of it thrummed through your fingers, it was ebony with a silverish sheen when it hit the light. It was about the size of your hand, from fingertip to heel, and hard as armor. 

Putting it on your bedside table, you kept looking over at it as you tried to run through the Avenger’s social media accounts, so distracted that you finally gave up. Your subconscious decided to punish you that night with an unfairly erotic dream about Bucky. He was on top of you, heavily muscled forearms framing your face as he moved in and out of you slowly. You couldn't imagine feeling more full than you were at the moment and yet your hips kept making little upward motions as if to drag him in further. "Aren't you supposed to be taking me from behind if I am an omega?" you asked breathlessly. 

He laughed, that deep rich chuckle you so rarely heard - one you doubt many people had. “After your transformation, you will present to me as my omega,” he said kissing your forehead, your cheekbone, and then your lips. “But for now, I just want to look at you.” The tip of his tongue ran lazily down the column of your neck as if searching the gland that would mark you as omega. The one you knew wasn't there. All the same, it was a dream and you tightened your legs around him, grabbing a fistful of his long hair and kissing him feverishly. There was something so all-encompassing about this man, the huge coil and flex of muscle in his arms and chest, the way he casually maneuvered you as if you weighed nothing. 

Pulling out of you, he ignored your disappointed whine and slid down, putting his mouth on your center in a greedy, full-mouth kiss. His gaze stayed on you the entire time, and when you tried to close your eyes, he yanked on your hips. “No, Omega. Watch me. You bloom when you’re slick and wet, a beautiful flower.” There was some sort of affirming-sounding noise that left your lips to this, but when he rubbed his stubbed chin directly on your opening, you actually yelped. “Paint my face with your slick, Aerouant.” 

Like always, you woke before your Alpha could make you come. “Aw, damnit,” you groaned, looking at the sun coming through your bedroom window. For a second, you caught yourself searching for a lightning-quick shadow so vast it would block out the sun. 

You heard the helicarrier before JARVIS even announced it’s arrival, and you hoofed it up to the helipad. You were wearing a tight, tan sheath dress and your favorite cheetah-print high heels, hair sleek in a ponytail. And, naturally, by the time the hatch opened to reveal the exhausted group, your dress was covered in dirt from the blast of soot from the landing craft and your hair in snarls around your face.

“Hey, welcome back,” you offered lamely as the crew passed you, one by one.

“I think you need a shower worse than I do, Bird Girl,” Tony said as he passed. 

Bucky was at the end of the procession, tach suit ripped and a haphazardly bandaged gash on his forehead. Any effort to look cool went out the window. “Oh, my god!” You reached up a hand, fluttering it like a neurotic hummingbird around the wound without touching it. “Are you okay?” You knew his healing speed rivaled Steve’s, so to look this bad meant it was fairly serious.

Bucky waited for a moment, looking down at you until you stopped fussing. “Omega,” he said fondly. “I’m all right.”

“Can I clean it for you at least?” You cared about every member of the team, you’d grown close to each of them for various reasons. But this- your heart was pounding and you were close to tears. 

Clearly trying to put you at ease, he nodded, following you down to your suite where you pulled out a suspiciously well-stocked first aid kit. “I take it this isn’t the first time you’ve had to do this.”

Rolling your eyes, you gingerly patted at the gash with antiseptic. “Please. When Dr. Cho isn’t here, no one will do anything for themselves. I don’t wanna brag, but I know how to use a suture gun. Clint actually showed up for a press conference once with an arrow still stuck in his a-”

His big, warm hands were on your hips and Bucky drew you closer. “Did you miss me, Aerouant?” Oh, he smelled so good. Even under the ugly smear of blood and antiseptic, his fresh-cut grass smell was there, and that spicy note of something herbal was back. It was all you could do to not bury your nose in his neck.

“Is that a trick question?”


	3. Up On The Roof

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which you fight your fears and your stubborn belief that you are a beta, and Bucky better get used to that. Also, excessively attractive panthers and uncontrolled bouts of flame.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the third and last chapter for my submission into the MCU Dark Library A/B/O Challenge for July. This is my first foray into the A/B/O universe, so I hope you'll forgive the awkwardness...

_...His big, warm hands were on your hips and Bucky drew you closer. “Did you miss me, Aerouant?” Oh, he smelled so good. Even under the ugly smear of blood and antiseptic, his fresh-cut grass smell was there, and that spicy note of something herbal was back. It was all you could do to not bury your nose in his neck._

_“Is that a trick question?”_

His answer was halted by a pounding on your door. “Bird girl! You got the Manchurian Candidate in there?” Tony, of course, didn’t wait for your answer and strolled into your living room. He was followed by Steve with an apologetic smile and Natasha, who looked between you and Bucky with a poorly smothered smirk.

“What am I confirming or denying with the national press tomorrow?” you said resignedly. "You know CNN is going to be all over this.”

"Well, the bit with the fire is going to be everywhere," Tony said casually. "But the only casualties were Hydra, and they don't count."

"And damages?" you asked, picking up your tablet to make notes.

"Don't you want to know about the fire?" Tony was practically vibrating with eagerness. You ignored him and looked at Steve, who is always the saner of the two.

"It was pretty amazing," Steve admitted. “Bucky-”

“Is leaving,” said the man in question, and he headed out the door before you could finish the Steri-Strips holding together the gash on his forehead.

"What was that?" You looked between the three suspiciously.

Surprisingly, it was Natasha who broke first. “We got into the third phase of their attack and it was an ambush," she said. "It wasn't looking good for us, and Bucky, he..." she looked at the other two as if getting their agreement.

“Bucky went full dragon!" Tony interrupted, "it was this epic act of arson that incinerated half the Hydra unit in one bellow! Damn, what I wouldn't give for lungs like those!”

Your jaw dropped and you looked at Steve again. “I'm guessing that doesn't happen often?" you asked, "Or, like, not at all on missions?”

"Yeah, that was unusual." Steve scratched the back of his head. "So in case there's any reports of giant flying flamethrowers you can just mention that Hydra had this poison-”

“The poison gas excuse?” you said crossly, “Again? Never mind. I'll go review the mission notes. Why don't you all get cleaned up and get some dinner? I ordered from Mr. Ling’s again, Tony. So there's 47 boxes of wontons waiting for you in the kitchen.”

Bucky, however, was right where you’d hoped he’d be- by the eagles. You handed him a heavy box of takeout, steam redolent of the luscious dim sum that only Mr. Ling could create. “Thanks, doll.” He opened the box, an honest smile of pleasure on his face as he inhaled the fragrant smell of lemongrass and sesame seeds.

“You must be starving,” you handed him a set of chopsticks and even shivered as his fingers brushed yours. He looked down at the takeout, but you caught his smile. “It’s just dumplings,” you stumbled, trying to play it cool.

Brushing your arm, he said, “From you. Thank you for thinking of me.” You ate together for a while, silently as you watched the eagles settle for the night.

“Mama looks tired,” you observed.

"Mama?” Bucky was trying to conceal a smile. 

“Um, yeah.” You poked at your noodles for a while, “You know, sitting on those big-ass eggs. I bet she’s exhausted. Imagine, trying to hatch a gigantic clutch of eggs like that? I mean, god, who could do that?”

Your beautiful alpha was looking at you with a combination of confusion and kindness. “I’m … eagles, I guess? Is this going somewhere, Aerouant?”

Stuffing another bundle of noodles in your mouth, you tried to shut up. It didn’t work. “Do dragons lay eggs?” It just burst out of you, and you closed your eyes in embarrassment.

Bucky actually stopped chewing. “I … do you mean shapeshifters?”

“Uh…” You swallowed with some effort. “Is there a difference?”

He hid his grin by looking down at his wontons. “It’s not the way you’re thinking, doll. There’s no eggs.”

“Oh, thank god,” you blurted. Reaching into your pocket, you pulled out the shiny black disc, stroking your thumb over the surface. “Recognize this?”

Bucky scooted closer, but didn’t touch it. “Where did you find one of my scales?”

“I knew it!” You awkwardly hopped up and down in your sitting position, wanting to bounce excitedly and also not spill your takeout. “It IS a dragon scale! It was almost woven into the eagle nest. It’s so beautiful.”

He was still looking at the part shed from him in dragon form. “I’ve never known…”

You waited, but he was silent, gazing at the scale. “Known what?” you prompted gently.

“The armor plating on the underside…” his finger hovered over but didn’t touch the surface. “I’ve searched through all the Irish legends, but there’s nothing about a dragon with this form. Is this part of me because of my arm, or?”

It was odd to be in the other position, watching Bucky be unsure about something relating to his heritage. And maybe, to yours. “There is one, a dragon,” you offered, clearing your throat. “Uilepheist. Legend has it that he sank to the bottom of the ocean for a thousand years, resting on his massive bed of treasure. When the call of the other dragons invading his turf came to him, he rose out of the water, roaring loud enough to cause massive waves that swamped the invaders. He destroyed the other dragons because none of them could penetrate his hide. His entire lower half was covered in precious metals and coins from his treasure.” He was looking at you with something like awe, and the thought that this awe-inspiring man could feel that way about you made you light up inside. "So... maybe your arm was meant to be part of you, you know?"

Putting down his dim sum, Bucky took your face in his two big hands, cradling it, holding you delicately like something precious. “Beautiful Omega,” he said, kissing you, full lips sweeping over yours. “Omega mine.”

And just like that, the glow was gone. 

“I’m a beta,” you said tiredly. It was all you ever seemed to fucking say these days, “I’m a beta, I’m a beta, I’m a BETA!”

“This isn’t about a beta designation being a bad thing,” Bucky said patiently, “This is about you being afraid of who you really are.”

You were instantly on the defensive. “I’m not afraid! I think you just don’t want a plain ol’ beta! We all can’t be amazing dragon shifters who- who-“ you were waving your arms around and put them back on your hips. “I know what I am, Bucky. I’m not going to throw myself off the top of Stark Towers and end up as paste on Madison Avenue, just to prove it. And if that isn’t enough-“ you bit hard on the inside of your cheek, fighting back those stupid tears trying to derail your determination, “I… I understand.”

He didn’t look angry, or even particularly sad. Touching your cheek softly, Bucky said, “I can wait.”

Unfortunately, “waiting for you” apparently meant sex was off the table. There were multiple missions to clean up the loose ends from the Hydra strike, which meant you didn’t even get to spend time with him. You worried about his dragon self popping out when it wasn’t supposed to, but there were no more reports for you to re-frame as “poison gas attacks.” So you focused on Steve’s big Fourth of July birthday bash, which you knew was as about as desirable to him as becoming Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan. But Tony was insistent, so you re-framed it to Steve as a charity fundraiser for the city’s autism programs for children and young adults, and he reluctantly agreed. 

But you kept Bucky’s dragon scale in your pocket or your organizer wherever you went, absently rubbing your thumb over it, stroking the smooth, glassy surface. You’d open your notebook and it would be there, reminding you of the man you’d made love to in midair over the Atlantic Ocean, which was beginning to sound more and more unbelievable as you thought about it. 

Until you fell asleep, and the dreams began. You and Bucky in a giant cave deep in the mountains with the wind howling outside, on a pile of furs as he slid into from behind, that lovely, thick cock stroking along all those secret places inside you, lighting up nerve endings like a match and making you moan and howl like the wild creature he said you were, nails digging and scraping against the rock. You woke from those nights tired and extremely turned on. When Bucky managed to reach you from wherever he was, you blurted, “I’ve been dreaming about you.”

Silence, then a low chuckle that made your toes curl in your new Louboutins. “And what happened in the dream, Aerouant?”

“We were, um, we were doing it.”

“Doing what?” You were writhing, his beautiful, deep voice was simmering through your girl parts. 

“You know perfectly well, we- okay, we were having sex, you were behind me and gripping my hips and slamming into me.”

Now it was Bucky’s turn to groan a little, which made you spitefully pleased. “What else?”

You were in your big office chair, and you curled your legs up, rubbing your thighs together. “We were in a cave, this crazy huge one and the wind-“

“It was blowing like a hurricane?” he interrupted.

“Yeah, crazy gale-force winds. But you’d wrapped me up in all these furs, so…”

Bucky gave out a low, crooning noise that made you curl into yourself like a potato bug. “You were with me last night. We’re in the mountains near Kathmandu, we wiped out a Hydra nest here. We had to take shelter in a cave when the windstorm came up.” 

“How could I have been with you?” You were hit with a longing for this man that was almost painful.

“Your dragon was here. I dreamt of you, too.”

“Bucky, I…” You tried desperately not to cry,

“Shhh, Omega,” he murmured, “it’s all right. I’ll see you soon, okay?”

“Yeah, okay,” you sniffled, “be safe.” When you hung up, you stared at the window for an hour, fingers stroking over his dragon scale.

Throwing yourself back into the plans for Steve’s deeply undesired Fourth of July birthday party helped a bit the next day, but the dreams when you tried to rest were not at all helpful.

They’d found them, the evil fucks who’d killed and hurt so many people, including your Bucky. You felt his savage exaltation as he pursued them - seeing the chase from above, from his view as he swept down, cavernous mouth open wide as a monstrous burst of flame flared forth and incinerated them. Even deeply asleep, it was all you could do to not laugh as Tony wailed, “We were supposed to bring them in alive!” Knowing all the while that not one Avenger agreed with him. Not even him, in fact.

But they’d had help this time, another group of alphas and omegas - who knew there were panther shapeshifters? And they were so very helpful, especially the alpha, a female. She’d hunted alongside your people, along with her pack. In the end, when there was nothing left but skeletons and ash, she’d shifted into a stunningly (of fucking course, you bitterly observed) female who’d stood very close to Bucky, smiling up at him in approval. 

You’d taken to standing on (well, near) the edge of the roof again. It was during one of these sessions of tormenting yourself with the “what ifs” when the eagle eggs began to hatch. “Oh, Bucky!” you groaned, “I wish you were here!” With shaking hands, you yanked out your phone and Facetimed him, and miracle of miracles, he picked up. 

“Hello? Oh, my-”

“Bucky! Look! It’s the eggs! They’re hatching!” You knew there were others in the room because he didn’t respond with the excitement you expected.

“Just a second.” As he was walking out of the room, you could see the discontented expression of the gorgeous female panther behind him.

Deflated, you started backtracking. “It’s okay, I just thought you’d want to know, I’ll just send you a picture, and-”

“Aerouant,” he soothed, “I want to see.” So, you scooted up as close as you dared to the nest, watching as the first, then the second egg were pecked open from the inside, the determined eaglets wedging their wet, grey heads out of the battered shell. 

“They’re terrible looking,” you said happily, “all whitish-grey with their big, oversized beaks.” The majestic, perfect looking parents looked sternly down at their hatchlings that were attempting to waddle around the nest.

You tilted the phone screen enough to see that Bucky was smiling fondly, like a proud uncle. "What about the third egg?"

“Not yet,” you said, chewing your lip slightly, wondering why this was so important to you, that third egg. Noticing that Bucky picked up on your concern.

“Don’t worry, it can take another day or two,” he began, but he was interrupted by Sam.

“Buckster! Pack business! We need to talk! Say goodnight and hang up!”

As Bucky started walking back into the room, you saw all the Avengers, anointed with their designations and so secure. Natasha was talking with the hot-looking panther bitch, and you tried to force your resentment down that she was more animated and friendly with this shifter than she’d been with you in years of working together. Forcing a smile, you said, “Goodnight … Alph- uh, Bucky.” _His eyes were so kind,_ you mourned silently.

“Goodnight, sweet Omega. Thank you for sharing the eagles with me.”

You went to bed, even more in love with this incredible man for his kindness, but with a cold misery every time you remembered Sam’s tone, “This is _pack_ business.” Somewhere you’d never be welcome. Not really.

Waking up the next morning, you took a run around the roof track as you tried to keep your eyes out on the horizon and not on the unspeakable drop from Stark Tower. Checking on the eaglets, you were happy to see the two adorably ugly, fuzzy little dudes getting comfortable. But egg number three was still stubbornly unhatched.

“You’re in a good mood,” Kari, your assistant greeted you with a smile when you handed over her favorite soy-latte blend. 

Shrugging, you said, “Eh. The party plans are almost set, thank god.”

“Uh, huh…” Kari gave you a leering grin. “And I’m sure that the fact that the whole team - including one super-hot soldier - are coming home today isn’t factoring in at all?”

“Did you get an answer back about the fireworks yet?” You crisply moved the conversation away from the confusing mix of need and resentment you felt toward the people you worked for.

But Kari was wrong, the team didn’t come home that afternoon. “It’s a full moon,” Tony was fiddling with something loose on one of his gloves on your video feed, and it was driving you mad. “It’s easier to fly from here to our meeting place upstate.”

“But I have three pages of questions for you, Tony,” you protested, “I promised Steve we’d make this a huge fundraiser and so far I need your approval on-”

He never looked up from his glove. “I trust you. Just handle it. We’ve got pack business so I’m going to have to hang up now, so… yeah.” The screen went dark and you said a very bad word about your boss.

“FRIDAY, if I’m needed, I’ll be-”

“Up on the roof?” the AI cut in politely. “I’ll alert anyone who might try to reach you.”

“So you think this wouldn’t piss me off, right?” You were pacing back and forth, drinking a split of champagne right from the bottle that you’d found stashed in your little office fridge. “But it does. And do you know why?”

The eagle family was staring at you, but you had at least greeted them politely first, inquiring after the eaglet’s health and asking if the third egg would be hatching soon. But then Tony and this whole … fucking pack business just infuriated you. 

“Oh, believe me. It’s not the first time I’ve heard that bullshit. My mom and dad - they’re alphas. From a long line of alphas. I was the golden daughter. Right until I turned eighteen and didn’t present like most of my friends. ‘Just a beta?’ You should have seen my dad’s face. That scholarship offer to Columbia University disappeared. My parents pretty much left me alone after that.” You walked back and forth along the roofline, carefully looking out, not down. “‘Pack business’, they’d say. Make yourself some dinner. We won’t be back tonight.” Taking another swallow of champagne. This stuff was terrible. You didn’t order this brand for the party, did you? You’d better check. “Anyway, I still got into Columbia, not everyone despises betas. But I had to move, find some scary place in the city because my parents thought it would be good for me to ‘develop some independence.’ I’ve seen them maybe three times since then.” Your feet were getting sore, so you pulled off your pumps. “So yeah. I’ve been dealing with entitled, privileged alphas and omegas my whole life. Why would I want to be like them?” You took another swig of champagne and peeked just slightly over the edge of the tower. “Oh, god,” you groaned. “And I’m supposed to throw myself off this building to prove I’m worthy? I’m worthy, goddamnit!” You pointed the bottle at the eagles, who were still watching you. “I’m perfectly happy as a beta." You nodded decisively. 

"Perfectly happy."

When the team came back from their full moon partying, everyone was exhausted, and a couple were actually singed. You shifted uneasily, wondering if Bucky went full dragon again. To make matters worse, they’d brought guests. Shifter guests, actually, and specifically, the one alpha panther you were not looking forward to meeting. And when you tried to suggest a meeting to recap the mission so you’d know what to confirm or deny to the press, you were brushed off.

“Tony? Steve? Really, I know you need a quick nap and uh, maybe a shower-” you rushed through that last bit, stepping away from them. “But I need to get some information, the mission notes?”

Steve looked at you resentfully. “I’m heading down to medical to check on Clint and Sam. Those burns don’t heal overnight.”

“Wait-” you were confused, why were they mad at you? “This was from the mission? How did they manage the full moon festivities, then?”

Taking you by the arm, Steve not-quite dragged you into a nearby meeting room. “No, they happened during the full moon run. Bucky changed, and he- well, it’s mainly their fault because they ran right into his path, but he couldn’t stop it! I don’t think I’ll get him out of his room for the next week!”

Absently rubbing the spot he’d grabbed, you asked, “What does that mean, he couldn’t control it?”

You’d worked with Captain America, the First Avenger and Genuinely Nice Guy for years. But you’d never seen him stare at you with contempt before. “You really don’t know anything about shifters, do you? Bucky’s losing control because he’s found his mate, and she refuses to bond with him.”

“Excuse me?” Your eyes narrowed, “Sorry I don’t know all the rules of your secret club because I don’t have the special decoder ring, Packmaster Rogers! But I do care about Bucky. He hasn’t told me about any of this!”

Steve ran a hand through his perfect blond hair. “When an alpha finds his omega, they bond immediately. An omega, a mate, is there to stabilize a shifter, to keep them in balance. The longer the two stay apart, the harder it gets to regulate shifting, or staying in control once you have. Why won’t you shift so you two can bond? I know you care about Bucky as much as he does for you.”

“I- I of course I care for James, deeply!” you protested, “But there’s no shifting here, Steve. I’m a beta, did you forget that? And I’m not throwing myself off the top of Stark Tower to prove it to your special shifter club!”

You’d not realized just how large Steve was until he leaned into you. “I don’t know who made you so bitter about your designation, but you’d better come to terms with it before Bucky has to suffer without the bond he needs again.” Before you could snarl back at him, he was gone, striding angrily down the corridor.

“Don’t forget to take a shower before your party, _birthday boy!”_ you shouted after him, ignoring the stares from everyone else in the corridor. Heading up two floors to where most of the team was housed, you wondered what to say to Bucky. Was he sick? What did ‘not controlling’ mean? Like, he could turn full dragon in the middle of the street? On the dance floor tonight? Could he set the DJ on fire? You knocked for some time before leaning your cheek against his door, “James? Will you let me in?” Groaning inwardly, you looked up and down the empty hall. “Alpha,” you called, “please, please open the door for your omega?”

It was clear he was fresh from the shower when he opened the door, skin still wet and running a towel through his hair. Without thinking, you leaned in, pressing your nose against his broad chest and taking a blissful little sniff. Bucky smelled like summer, fresh-cut grass, or maybe a chilled, ripe watermelon split open. The ground after a rain shower. A tang of something foreign this time, a spice, maybe? _Or a certain panther?_ your bitchiest voice asked.  
  


There was an amused little chuckle rumbling through the chest your face was currently pressed against, and you backed up, horrified at your behavior. “Oh, god I’m sorry Bucky! Like that wasn’t weird.”

“S’okay,” he soothed, “but I’d rather have this…” and then his lush mouth was on yours and you went boneless, sagging against him. The feel of his arms around you, enclosing you in his bulk was unbelievably good, bits of his wet hair sticking to your cheeks and oh- god, that tongue of his, sliding between your lips and toying with yours. When he finally pulled away, giving your lower lip a little nip, you were speechless. “Why don’t you come sit down, Omega,” Bucky said kindly.

When you were settled on the couch together, you absently ran your hands over his, and his arms, his neck and shoulders. “Are you all right? That was a rough mission.” 

“I’m fine,” he said, hands running over you, too. You closed your eyes when the rasp of his calloused fingertips traced over your face. “Why are you upset? I can feel it.”

Drawing away with a sigh, you said, “I spoke with Steve. He told me about what’s been happening. Because of the bonding … thing.”

“He shouldn’t have done that,” Bucky frowned, “he had no right to try to push you into a decision.”

Your heart sank. “So, it’s true? Your ability to regulate your shifting will get worse unless you’re bonded?”

He lifted you as lightly as if you were a cat or something, perching you on his lap, your pencil skirt riding up. “It’s not about being bonded. It’s about being bonded to _you._ To my mate. But until you’re ready…”

“Bucky, I…” you were blinking back tears, frustrated and heartsick, worried about this beautiful, kind man. So ferocious with others and so gentle with you. “We can’t bond like that. Not if I’m a beta. Maybe…” now you really were crying, “maybe you should go be with one of your designation, someone…”

“Someone else?” he finished flatly. “No. You are my Omega. Only you.”

“How can you be so sure?”

Oh, Bucky was beautiful when he smiled, open-mouthed, even white teeth gleaming and those ‘sky over the cornfield’ blue eyes alight. “I knew the moment I saw you. When I scented you in the elevator. You just have to believe it.” He looked down, where your phone had been buzzing angrily. “It looks like everyone’s trying to reach you about tonight. Go take care of the party. I’ll see you there. I’ll make the punk at least pretend to look like he’s having fun.”

You nodded and smiled, kissing him again - damn, you would dump the whole party just to keep kissing this man! - and went back to the ballroom to tackle the caterer freaking out because he needed more refrigeration and the fire marshall demanding to see the plan for the fireworks again. By the time you managed to squeeze yourself into a pretty white sundress and apply some lipstick, the guests were already arriving. You were on autopilot, greeting everyone and tactfully reminding Tony that the woman he was flirting with was married to the new President of Brazil. But your focus was on Bucky, standing with the other members of the team and their “guests” from Eastern Europe. He was smiling, but he looked exhausted, dark circles you’d not seen under his eyes earlier. You felt ill. Could your lack of belief really be hurting him? But … shit, you were really supposed to prove your love by throwing yourself off the top of the 135 floors of Stark Tower to prove it? You weren’t a fucking dragon! Absently nodding and smiling, your eyes pulled back to Bucky again. 

“Just a beta.” Your parent’s voice was your inner voice, your mean voice when you felt small, or insignificant. But you’d made yourself happy with who you were. Betas were as smart or worthy as any alpha or omega. But… What if you _were_ …?

The cavernous room was hot, you were sweating and it was so goddamn noisy. You’d just get a breath of fresh air, you’d just- You were hurtling out of the roof elevator and heading toward the edge without even thinking about it, focused only on the space beyond it. The eagles' stately white heads turned to follow you as you strode past them. And then you were kicking your high heels off and sprinting before you could let yourself think about it. 

And then, you just … leaped.

It felt like a giant hand had just reached down your throat to pull your stomach out. You couldn’t even scream. You could feel the force of the air tearing at your dress and your hair in your fall. And instead of looking down, you looked out. 

If you’d ever let yourself think about it, you would have assumed nothing in the world could possibly hurt worse than a human body changing into a dragon’s- snapping bones and tearing muscles, painful elongation of skin into scale. But there was none of that, instead, a feeling of something forming around you, a comforting bulk, a power. You still felt like you. When you raised your hand, it was still your hand and not claws, but… you were more. You realized you were soaring now, not spiraling down, and cautiously stretching, you felt your wings widen. 

“Omega Mine,” his voice had never been more beautiful, full of love and pride and your eyes were watering like crazy because, yeah. _You were a fucking dragon._ Bucky laughed as he flew beside you, eagerly watching you stretch and preen. 

"Oh, my god, Alpha! Look! Oh, my god!!" The sound of his laughter rolled over you, making your wings flare wider as if his joy was a physical thing that filled you like helium, made you lighter than air. You swooped away from a stretch of sky already alight with fireworks and headed over the dark surface of the ocean. "How does this ... I still feel like me, Alpha. Am I really a dragon? I look at you and I see how beautiful you are, I see your wings and your scales and eyes..."

"Come, Omega," he invited and you followed as he soared gracefully over the surface of the water, skimming lazily back and forth. "Look down," Bucky said, and when you did, the light of the waning moon illuminated the ocean and you saw them - the ebony dragon with his glittering silver and golden underscales. And with him, another dragon, pale, like moonlight but when she stretched her wings wide, they shimmered crimson over the snowy white surface. "You are beautiful, Omega Mine, just as I knew you'd be." You impulsively moved closer to him, angling your neck to put your mouth against his.

You were still bulleting across the Atlantic, but heading north, past New York state, and then over the trees and mountains and finally, into Canada, circling over a placid-looking bay. “Um…” you started, still trying to find the right words, as if your dragon tongue and teeth were somehow blocking your ability to speak. And then it was the easiest thing in the world to think into the perfect silence of your connection. “So, how do dragons, you know, how do we do it?”

There it was again, that huge grin your Alpha had that gave him back the innocence of his youth. “Do you remember our discussion about bald eagles and their mating habits?”

Your human eyes were cartoonishly wide, so you could only imagine what your dragon orbs looked like. “Really? Like that?” His hands reached out to grip your wrists, and you felt it then, your talons lock with his, and your legs spread so easily. Both of you still flying, wings creating a whirlwind around you but inside the noise there was calm, where suddenly Bucky’s mouth was against your center and you felt the long, rough, glorious length of his tongue swipe up the slim furrow between your legs. It made you shriek, your lower lips feel plump and hot. He swiped you with that tongue again and again, lashing your cunt with rasping heat and then as you screamed, up inside you, twirling and rubbing impossibly high and making you half insane with pleasure. And then you felt it, a long, sharp fang that so delicately scraped your clitoris, and you were gone, screaming with pleasure and dimly wondering what it sounded like from your dragon throat.

Spinning you, Bucky held your back against his metaled chest. “Do you remember, Omega, when I told you I’d mount you from behind?”

“I can’t fly like this-”

“I’ve got you, sweetest girl, now arch your back…” oh, his voice was _sin,_ full of promise and making your nipples hard and your wet center positively weep with need. One thick arm crossed over your chest, holding your shoulder as the other roughly pulled your thigh aside as his hugely muscled one slid between yours. “Present, Omega.”

Your back snapped into an impossibly deep arch, your head dropped against his shoulder and you sighed. It all made sense. It was right and it was perfect and oh, god but this man - dragon - was fucking huge. You’d thought you’d remembered the size of Bucky’s cock very fondly but no, it was painfully, arousingly, enticingly massive. And he pushed it up inside of you with a roar that shook the trees. You instinctively tried to snap your legs together, but the thick muscle of your mate’s leg kept you wide, and his hips drew back slowly, teasingly, and then pushed forward again. You knew that in human form, you’d never survive a sensual assault like this but as your Alpha’s mate- you could handle anything, even the savage back and forth thrust of his cock inside you. He was whispering words to you, snatches of Celtic poetry, phrases of love and praising your beauty, things in a language you shouldn’t understand that told you he would love you forever. So when you felt the base of his shaft swell widely, his heaving, armored abdomen pushing against your ass, you took a deep breath and pushed back. His groan was guttural as he locked inside you, knotted firmly and he bit into your neck. You could feel the blood spurt, you knew it should hurt but it didn’t. It was perfect, his fangs in your neck were meant to be there and you let loose with an orgasm that blinded you. 

When you opened your eyes again with some semblance of consciousness, you were lying on your side, Bucky curled behind you, pelvis nestled snugly against your ass and still buried inside you. His wing was under you, sheltering you from the rocky ground and the pine trees hovering over. He was licking the wound on your neck, a deep rumble of approval tickling pleasantly up your spine. “Hey…” you said sleepily.

“Omega.” It was said with such love that you started tearing up again. He brushed some hair off your face. “How do you feel?”

“I, um,” you started giggling. “I have no idea, honestly.” His deep voice joined you and you laughed together, the sound all the sweeter because you knew it had been a long time since he’d laughed like this. The laughter ended in a mutual groan when he pulled out of you, feeling the rush of slick and heat against your thighs. When he stood, stretching his back, you watched as Bucky’s wings folded in somehow and he was just a man again, walking toward you like that first night on the roof.

Cradling your face between his hands, he kissed you again, murmuring against your mouth. “Will you claim me, too?”

“Yeah, okay,” you whispered, and his huge arms slid under your thighs again, lifting you easily and spreading you wide, dropping you on his cock as you shrieked, half in delight, but also really alarmed because you didn’t think he could go any deeper without coming right out of your mouth. You bounced up and down on his cock, clutching his shoulders, sweat making your human hands slip as you admired this man’s strength, able to move you like this as he stood, powerful legs planted on the hillside. And this time as you were coming and you felt the telltale swell at the base of him, your Alpha tilted his neck invitingly, exposing the strong, corded surface and your teeth greedily sunk into his skin. Your teeth inside him, his cock inside you, and you were connected everywhere- in thought, the blood shared between your bodies, his arms and yours entwined. “Oh, I love you,” you whispered, overcome that this was you. And him. And together.

When you finally made it back to Stark Tower, you were both loose-limbed and giddy, and Bucky held your arm as you stumbled a bit, shrinking back down to your human form.

Looking over at the eagles, you gasped. “Look, Bucky! The third egg hatched!” The last scraggly-looking eaglet was currently being nudged by his mother. Looking back at your mate, you rolled your eyes. “Please, no obvious parallels need to be made here, right?”

“Absolutely not,” he agreed. “You never looked that scruffy.”

“You know the rest of the team is going to be insufferable,” you snarled as the elevator headed down. Bucky stifled a chuckle into your sore neck.

  
  



End file.
